


Scared Straight

by Erratus



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Callum is part elf on this one, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I think it's a cool idea, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-28 04:55:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18203807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erratus/pseuds/Erratus
Summary: Callum and Rayla begin their adventure into Xadia and a new level to their relationship. A brief encounter with Amaya leaves Callum emotionally cold and hurt. Rayla is left to figure out just what was said and to help Callum cope with it.





	1. The Secret

Callum looked peaceful under the night sky. The moon flies light up the entire field with a soft blue, himself included. The moon was half-full, illuminating what the moon flies did not.

“I told you that you would love Xadia,” Rayla smiled, proud to show off her land. “There's just something about the air here,” she took a deep breath. Maybe it was the magic or maybe it was just being back in friendly territory. Either way, Rayla missed it dearly. Callum didn’t say anything but turned to look at her. He smiled one of those smiles that melted her heart instantly. Curse that man.

They crossed the Breach thanks to Zym and barely escaped a dragon, largely thanks to Rayla. They decided to go just a few miles into Xadia before going north. There was an unpopulated strip, too far from the Breach for soldiers but too close for civilians. It was the safest path north, at least according to Rayla. They were unlikely to run into anyone. Any moving platoons or supplies should be noisy enough to avoid easily. 

“I wish I had colors. Pencil isn't enough,” Callum seemed to muse to himself. Rayla decided he spent long enough gawking. She stealthily approached him from behind and embraced him. He squeaked in surprise but didn’t fight. Instead he leaned into it and gave a small, happy hum.

“I could try to find some when we pass by a village,” she offered. The roles had been reversed now. She was free to wander the towns while he had to stay in hiding. Rayla wasn't proud of it, but he would be killed just as quickly as she would have been in Katolis. In reality, elves really weren’t anymore understanding or merciful, she mused.

Callum was still distracted by the landscape and Rayla felt playful. She smoothly pulled his sketchbook from his side. “Let's see how you have been doing without your colors,” she announced as she took a few long story strides away. She didn't open the book, although he had previously given her his blessing to so. Mostly, she just wanted to play keep away.

“Hey, Rayla!” Callum yelled but had a smile on his face. Her move was well received and she was glad. Their relationship was new and she was still getting use to the new dynamic. He started after her but they both knew he had no hope. He would catch her only when she decided she wanted to get caught. Still, she kept close by and didn’t move too fast to give him every opportunity to best her.

“Humans are so slow, how have you not all been eaten by banthers yet?” Rayla teased, gracefully staying out of arm's length. Had they been in Katolis she would have made a point to keep quiet. But being in Xadia gave her a false sense of security.

Callum didn't reply, instead he quickly drew a rune and yelled aspiro. He was fast enough to legitimately take her off guard. She made a rather ungraceful sound as the gust force her to tumble backwards. Callum was on her in a second, securing his book. She was impressed. It seemed like their play fight was actually teaching him a thing or two.

He didn't get up though. Instead he relaxed, resting his body on top of hers. Their breaths mingled and limbs tangled together. He was grinning at her, maybe proud at having won or maybe just happy to be with her. A warm smile spread across her face and she let one of her hands wander to the back of his neck.

“Well done prince. You caught the evil assassin,” she leaned up to kiss him. He happily met her half way. Within moments their kiss deepened and his hand made its way to her hip. Rayla was so lost in the moment she failed to hear gentle rustling from across the field. It wasn't until the following morning that their folly caught up to them.

.

It was barely dawn when she heard them. “Zym, come here,” she hissed at the baby dragon. He cracked an eye open but otherwise refused to move from his spot nestled against Callum. She didn't waste time scooping him up and dropping him in a bag.

“Callum, wake up,” her voice was harsh and he knew what that meant. He was up and aware in seconds, though clearly he didn't know the source of danger.

Rayla stared at the tree line, all senses heightened.

“Rayla, what is it?” Callum whispered. He was clearly unnerved. She was about to speak but a figure appeared from the tree line and cut her off.

“Release the prince at once!” Rayla could tell by the accent they were human. It also answered the question of which prince. But what was a human soldier doing in Xadia? Granted they weren't far from the Breach, but why were humans crossing it at all? It didn't bode well for their peace mission.

“Callum, you want to talk with your friends?” Rayla asked. It was more of a command to call off his dogs.

“It's not like that, I'm not captive,” he called out. No surprise that they didn't seem convinced.

“Prince Callum, can you get away from the elf?”

“I'm pretty sure they are going to kill me if you go,” Rayla pointed out calmly. She could see a lot of soldiers behind the first one and hear others around. They have her surrounded.

“She’s not a threat. Do not hurt her,” Callum tried to order, but it sounded more like pleading.

“She will not be executed, you have my word,” a new voice said. Familiar clanking of armor could be heard and a pit formed in Rayla's gut. Oh great, it was _her_ again.

“Aunt Amaya!” Callum cried, almost bounding towards her. Rayla had to hold him back, which she really didn't like because it didn't help the ‘this isn't a hostage situation’ look. But she wasn't ready to trust that she was safe without him. Amaya and a new interpreter walked forward. 

“Callum, where is Ezran?,” the interpreter translated.

“He's safe with Corvus, returning home.”

“Good, I was worried about you two,” Amaya's body reflected the relief that the interpreter didn't convey. “Callum, is it true that this elf in’t dangerous?”

“Yeah, her name is Rayla. She's been keeping me safe,” he said earnestly. Rayla put on her best fake smile and waved. In response Amaya sent death threats with her eyes. Lovely.

“Callum, you need to go back to Katolis, now.”

“I can't, I need to…” he eyed the soldiers within eyeshot with distrust. Instead of continuing with words, he begun signing. After a few moments both Amaya's and the interpreter looked shocked. Callum pated Zym through the bag. Zym whined and shifted about, uncertain if he could come out. Rayla let out a frustrated sigh escape her. Did Callum really just tell her everything? What if she decides to take Zym back to Katolis? That Claudia girl would probably turn him into a dark magic stew.

Judging by the long, thoughtful pause, Amaya was considering it. Callum made a few more signs and Amaya seemed to acquiesce.

“Fine, but take some of my soldiers,” the interpreter started up again.

“Oh no, smuggling one human across Xadia is hard enough. I don't need another, especially if they are plotting to kill me in my sleep,” Rayla protested in no uncertain terms. Amaya gave her a cold, hard stare.

“I do not trust the elf,” Amaya’s interpreter said, also in no uncertain terms.

“If I wanted to kill him, I could have done it weeks ago,” Rayla tried to make her case.

“I realize that. I do not trust her not to-” the interpreter stopped mid sentence with a mild blush. Amaya kept signing and Callum blushed even harder. Well, looks like a human scout spotted them the previous night. He gawked a bit, hands fumbling, uncertain of how to respond to whatever exactly she said. Rayla had a vague idea of the conversation and started imagining her own dialogue. Apparently she didn't trust Rayla not to seduce and violate her poor, mislead nephew. Which, admittedly, was a real concern. 

_We saw you last night, frolicking happily. How dare you._

_But Aunt Amaya, Rayla is a cool, awesome person who would never hurt me._

_Nonsense! She's a monster that will drink your blood._

Rayla played the imaginary conversation in her head. Despite Callum's initial surprise, he picked up confidence. They both took turns pointing at her every few seconds. Still better than having her platoon attack, Rayla tried to console herself.

“You're being ridiculous aunt Amaya. Rayla can protect me. And what's wrong with using sky magic?” Callum finally started talking again. “We have to go, it's not safe for anyone to be here,” Callum tried to bring the meeting to a close. Finally, Rayla thought to herself. He took a step back, but Amaya grabbed his shoulder. She sighed, looked defeated, and signed a few things to her interpreter.

“Yes ma'am, right away,” he said before walking away. He called out to the troops, telling them they need to fall back without the prince. Success, or so Rayla thought. Amaya signed to Callum, who in turn translated.

“I guess Amaya wants to talk privately with me for a minute,” he said to Rayla. 

“Fine,” she grunted, frustrated. “Whatever she needs to do to let us get back to it. It's a miracle that an elf platoon hasn't already killed us all.” Rayla took a few steps back and sat under a tree. She watched the two with a mixture of boredom and frustration. Callum will have to teach her to sign someday. Though Amaya doesn't seem that interested in talking with her to start with.

Rayla watched their faces. Amaya's was as stoic as ever, but Callum's had a full range of emotions. From innocent confusion, to shock, to horrified. A protective spirit rose up in Rayla when she saw his distress. Color drained from his face and his hands started shaking. Eventually he was shaking so badly he couldn't even sign. Amaya pulled him into an embrace. He wiped at tears Rayla didn't even notice form. Amaya herself seemed pained. What in the hell were they saying? After a moment he pulled out of the hug and they continued to sign. Callum looked shell shocked and Amaya face was twisted around like she was sucking a lemon. She gave a few final signs, hugged him, and left.

And with that, they were left alone in the same magical field that she playfully took his sketchbook in. But the moon flies were gone along with any kind of happiness in Callum. The mood was downright oppressive.

“So…” Rayla tried to bring Callum back to the present. “Good talk?” She didn't know what was said but the color never returned to Callum's face. He stood were Amaya left him. Didn't even respond to Rayla's question. Rayla felt like stabbing something. She decided she really didn't like Amaya.

It's clear that she was accepting of the cause, which is good. But she also didn't seem to happy about their relationship. And whatever she said to she said to Callum hurt him.

“Come on, we should move,” he eventually said. He let Zym out, who gleefully started stretching. Callum didn't wait though, he immediately started walking.

“What did she say?” The question was burning on Rayla’s tongue.

“Nothing,” Callum replied. The absurdity got a harsh laugh out of Rayla.

“ No no no. That wasn't nothing. Talk,” she demanded. Callum wasn't even looking at her.

“Drop it Rayla,” he said weakly. She pressed her lips together, frustrated but deciding to let it go for now. Instead she decided to just comfort him with a hug. She's next to him before he even realized it and her arms began to encircle him.

He quickly stepped away. “No, Rayla…,” he finally turned to face her, but still couldn't look in her eyes. He steeled himself with a breath before continuing. “We shouldn't do those things anymore,” he added.

“What, we aren't allowed to hug anymore?” She said it sarcastically, but he was dead serious.

“Yes. No more hugging, or kissing, or… any of that stuff. Let's just get Zym home, get me back to Katolis, and you can go back to your home,” he turned back around and continued walking, signaling an end to the conversation.

For a moment the words confused her, like there was some hidden meaning she didn’t get. Then a pit formed in her stomach. Was he really trying to end things? Over something his aunt said, that he isn't even willing to share? The idea of Callum leaving Xadia without her hurt. The notion of him doing it for some unknown reason was unacceptable.

“Callum…,” she trailed off, not totally sure how to approach the situation. She wasn’t going to just let it go. “Your aunt obviously told you something bad. And if you tell me, I could probably help,” she tried her best to be tactful. She still felt like stabbing something, but decided that wasn’t the best approach. 

Callum stopped walking but didn't look back. A moment passed. “Let's keep moving,” he said as he started walking again. Rayla grunted, dropping it for now.

What did she tell him? That Moonshadow elves had teeth between their legs? Rayla almost let out a cold chuckle at the thought. Probably was something just as stupid. One thing was for damn sure, she wasn't going to let his aunt end their relationship, not like this. If he really wanted them to go their separate ways, he would have to at least say why. Then Rayla can assure him whatever bull crap his aunt feed him was just that.

She trudged on, eventually taking the lead. Zym was happily exploring his newly discovered kingdom, oblivious to the tension.

“I could try and get you those colors you wanted today,” Rayla eventually tried to start a conversation. Silence. She looked behind her to check on her companion. He looked… better. More color in the face but still had a thousand yard stare and deadpan expression.

“There should be a village just a few miles east from here. I could get you some mellow leaf buns too,” she offered. Just a few days ago Callum was excited about trying the different foods. But now he only gave silence.

“Alright, guess I'll just be talking to myself while we walk all the way across Xadia,” she didn't expect her jab to get a reply. It didn't. She let out a loud, frustrated groan. Zym bounded by happily.

They trudged on for a while with the oppressive silence. Rayla stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of it though. A tall, branchless tree with a cluster of red fruits at the top.

“Callum, there's a born fruit tree,” she exclaimed, pointing to it.

“A what?” Of course he wouldn't know what it is, they are rare enough in Xadia. Probably don't even grow in Katolis.

“They're really good fruits. I promise you won't be able to frown while eating one,” she walked over to it, staring up the long trunk. She could get one, but it would be a struggle. She would likely need to use her blades to climb the tree which could potentially kill the grand plant. But there was another way.

“Do you think you could use aspiro to knock some fruits loose?” She looked at him eagerly. This was a godsend. He could try one of the best treats Xadia has to offer, use his new magical abilities, and they can both enjoy a little pick-me-up. They were certain to lighten the mood, at least a bit.

“I don't think I should be using sky magic anymore,” he said softly, defeated. For the second time that day, she was utterly confused by the words he just said.

“What? But Callum, you love doing magic. You almost died to learn how to do sky magic. Why wouldn't you…” she trailed off as Callum started to walk away. A knot twisted in her gut. Was he really not going to use sky magic again? Why? What could possibly compel him? He fought so hard to learn it, against all reason and understanding of the world he managed to learn it.

He frowned at the tree and looked at the fruit longingly. “Sorry,” he muttered before walking away.

What did Amaya tell him?


	2. Revelations

Rayla really was excited to be back in Xadia, and she excited to share her world with Callum. Who, she might add, was also very excited about it all just yesterday. But now he just stared at the campfire, ignoring all the magical creatures and landscape around him.

“Callum, you are going to have to tell me what she said,” they were the first words the Rayla spoke for hours. Finally, _finally_ , he looked at her.

“Rayla, I know this is hard. I don't like it either. But I can't tell you. Ever. No one can know. Not even you,” his words were measured. They were his first real words all day but they didn't provide much relief.

“And what bad will come from telling me?” She was a bit offended at the notion, but she didn't want to turn this isn't a fight. Callum clearly needed patience right now.

“The harm will be that more people know. I wish I didn't know,” he said the last line softly, closing his eyes tightly.

“Yeah, well, you do know. And it's hurting you. I bet if you told me, it would hurt you less,” she pleaded. 

“No Rayla. This… this isn't like that. This needs to be kept quiet,” fear started to leak into his voice. Rayla saw her opening.

“What will happen if people find out,” she asked softly. It hurt to see him in pain. Maybe he would be willing to talk around his big secret.

“They would definitely kick me out of the castle. Maybe execution,” Rayla wasn't sure if she could believe it. 

“Come on Callum, I don't think they are going to do anything like that. Not with Ezran calling the shots,” she tried to console him.

“He can't do everything Rayla. There's the council and the people. The generals. And I'm not a prince by blood. By blood I'm a…,” he quickly shut his mouth, stopping his spiel mid sentence.

“A dumb human? Yeah, we already know that,” Rayla teased lightly. He flinched at the accusation and brought his knees to his chest. Rayla mentally kicked herself. Clearly her attempt to lighten the mood didn't work.

“Sorry, I didn't think that would bother you. Callum, I don't know what your aunt told you, but between me and Ezran, nobody is going to lay a finger on you. I mean it, and you know how sharp my swords are,” she flipped out one of her blades for emphasis. It was true. There wasn't much she could do about exile, but she sure as hell wasn't going to allow anyone to hurt him.

“And what about our kids Rayla,” he snapped back, legitimately angry. Which baffled her even more given the odd question.

“Er, we don't have any?” It was more of a question than anything else. They hadn't even been together in that way yet.

“If we do stay together and have kids, what about them? Where will they go? They won't be safe anywhere,” here said, still with some anger.

“We teach them to fight. Or teach the world to accept them. Or we adopt. Or maybe we don't have any kids at all,” she listed off the possibilities. She honestly wasn't thinking that far ahead and was perplexed he was. Her options didn't seem to relax him though. He sighed and look away. She put away her blade and went to hug him. But he abruptly stopped her. Right, they weren’t allowed to hug anymore. Not even friend hugs, apparently.

“No, Rayla, we can't…,” she could hear the want in his voice. He wanted to take comfort in her. She wanted to comfort him. And yet she turned and sat on the other side of the fire. They fell into silence again. This time it wasn't broken. Callum eventually settled into sleep but Rayla couldn't. Instead she stared at him. At the fire. At the sky. The hours wore on she should just kept rolling the facts through her head.

Something Amaya said. They can't be together. He can’t use sky magic. He might get killed for it. Halflings aren't accepted. She could see the worry about any half human half elf babies, but that doesn't explain the worry over his life and refusal to talk.

Her attention was immediately brought back to the world. Callum had begun muttering and shifting. A nightmare. She considered what to do. Part of her felt like chucking a rock to wake him up. He was being enough of a jerk to deserve it. Instead she decided to violate his new ‘no touching’ rule. In a few graceful movements she was sitting beside him. She ran her hand along his warm neck, feeling his rapid pulse. She moved her hand to his head, running fingers through his hair and along his cheek.

“Come on now, you're just having a bad dream. It's nothing real,” she coaxed him back into the real world. He blinked his eyes open. For a moment they were unfocused and she could see deep pain in his face. Then he focused on her. She waited to see if he was going to shoo her away again. He didn't. Instead he buried his face into her thigh.

“Want to talk about it now?” She offered. He didn't respond, not that she expected him to. Instead he got up and went for his sketch pad. He begun drawing in a way she never saw before. Usually his movements were gentle and slow. A small smile on his face, occasionally broken by a funny expression as he tries to get the details right. It was tranquil.

Tonight his hand moved fast and erratic. His face was a grimace, sometimes moving into a snarl. It was the sight that Rayla eventually fell asleep to.

.

He was up when she woke. She suspected that he never actually went back to sleep. He somehow looked even worse than yesterday. Defeated, empty, complete with dark bags under his eyes.

“Are you ready? We should get moving,” his voice was heavy with exhaustion. Their normal morning routine involved some amount of hugs, but he didn't approach her and she knew he wouldn't let her get close to him. She pressed her lips together as a thought came to her.

“Nope! Not until you let me in on what is going on,” she said from the ground. She wasn't going anywhere until he caved. Zym cocked his head at her and whined. Everyday of his entire life he spent walking. It must have been odd to take a day off.

Callum, however, took a different approach 

“Rayla, come on. You can't be serious,” he was clearly mad. Rayla shrugged, reversing the silent treatment. “So you're going to drag Zym and the rest of the war between humans and elves into this?” 

“Something is wrong with you. I don't want to struggle to keep your distracted, mopey, grouchy self out of trouble,” she shot back. “So talk.” Callum glared. He didn't say anything, but Rayla could tell he was the angriest she'd ever seen him. Not that she had seen him angry very often. His fisted her balled, his cheeks were tinted red, and his jaw was clenched. Rayla wasn’t exactly a puddle of relaxation either though. There was a silence, tense moment before he broke it.

“What's wrong with me is that I just want to get Zym home and then go home myself. You can't just stop half way through the job!”

“Not stopping, just taking a little break. Talk to me and we can get moving right away,” she said with a condescending smile. His foul mood had worn away all of her patience.

He groaned and wandered away into the woods. Zym trotted off after him.

Alone, Rayla had to wonder what she was doing. Maybe Callum was right, she shouldn't be dragging the rest of the world into their issues. Then she spied his sketchbook.

They had made something of a deal. She could look through his book whenever she wanted, and he could draw her whenever he wanted. She had a feeling that deal was revoked. But desperate times called for desperate measures. He had drawn something in there after his nightmares. Maybe something related.

She flipped through pages of his usual drawings. Her, blades out and ready to kick ass. Ezran smiling wide. Zym playing with a flower. A baby elf with their neck twisted and bent all wrong, dead.

A chill went through Rayla. This was new. She didn't like looking at it and she couldn't imagine Callum enjoyed drawing it. But it was a valuable clue so she studied it carefully. Their face was round but they had dead, empty eyes. The beginnings of small horns were black and curved, they were a skywing elf. The neck was twisted completely around and there was a sharp bend where the break was. The baby didn't have any face markings and…

Five fingers. Rounded ears. A halfling. Halflings don’t belong anywhere, that’s what Callum said. Things started to come together. Rayla flipped to the next page. A man this time, also dead. He was hanging limp from a tree. The horns were much more clearly skywing this time, but he had four fingers. She could tell that he also was a halfling by other human features. Oddly familiar features. Rayla was starting to see, but the next page told it all.

Callum's mother, Sarai, the adult halfling smiling her side. It showed a better view of the man, and just how similar he looked to Callum. His mother was holding the baby with horns and a young boy was grabbing at the halflings leg, smiling. Rayla's hand rested on this picture. It was much nicer than the others, but it still made an ache form in her chest. It all came together and she realized the jist of what Amaya said. She quickly flipped through other pages and found more of the same. Sarai with the man, smiling while they nuzzle. The baby smiling up at the viewer. The baby's dead face on the next page. The man and the boy, smiling while they pick plants. The man giving the boy a piggyback ride. The man fighting to get the noose off his neck.

Rayla heard Callum approach from a distance. She quickly returned the book to its original spot and returned to hers. Callum appeared, clearly still mad and seemingly about to yell at her some more. She felt bad. Worse actually, she felt like trash. She should have realized it wasn’t something stupid. It wasn’t something she could fix with a few simple words. She didn't give him the chance to yell at her.

“I'm sorry for keeping us. I can move whenever you're ready.” She could see the righteous fury melt off his face.

“Let's,” is all he said. Within minutes they had left the campsite and continued north. She looked at him, assessing his emotions. Sad, hurt, lost, staring at far away mountains. Probably remembering long forgotten memories, including very painful ones. Rayla couldn't help feeling like she was being a huge jerk before.

“Callum, I'm sorry for being pushy. I won't try to make you talk to me again,” the words flew off her tongue, trying to attone.

“Thank you,” it was so soft and weak. It was all she needed.

“But you always can talk. If you want,” she added. She really did think that he needed to get it off his chest. But badgering him about it won't do anything good. It’s just building a divide between them and hurting him more. He would talk about it when he was ready. She knew it.

They continued to walk in silence. They talked only as necessary. They camped by a cliff, and his nightmares returned. She consoled him quietly and left when he asked. It hurt her, but she understood. He said that he didn’t really remember his father. He never grieved because he never knew him. But now he remembered him, and his brutal death. Now he was grieving.

.

“I'm part elf,” he said it after two days. They had made a campsite and were relaxing by the fire. There was no promoting, the words just suddenly appeared.

“I know,” she said slowly. He snapped his head up, looking at her confused.

“I snooped,” she confessed. “I was worried. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have,” she apologized. She held her breath. He could go off on her. He could withdraw again. But she couldn't fake this revelation. She was relieved when he moved next to her, resting his body against hers. It felt so good to be close again, to finally be able to comfort him. 

“I didn't remember much about my dad. He died when I was so little. And I guess I completely forgot about Ela,” pain raced across his face. “My little sister,” his voice cracked. Rayla wrapped him in a hug. That drawing of a baby with a snapped neck forced its way into her mind. Had he been able to evict it from his mind at all these last few days?

“She had horns like dad. I was jealous because I wanted them. I thought,” a dry chuckle left him and she could tell he was fighting back tears. “I thought they looked so cool. But they killed her because she had them. Because she looked like a halfling. Mom was able to convince them I was human. All human,” he corrected himself.

“Amaya said that I didn’t forge an arcanum, I just discovered what was always there. That me using sky magic is like my sister’s horns. A sign that we aren’t all human. A sign to kill us.” The knot in Rayla’s guy twisted tighter and tighter.

“Oh Callum…” She breathed out into his neck. She didn’t have anything to say. There was nothing to say. Something horrible happened to him, to his family. There was no fixing it. He shifted his weight and moved away from her. She wanted to keep the embrace but knew not to push it. Looking at his face, she was glad that she let go.

For the first time in _days_ he was smiling. It reached his eyes too. Finally those green eyes had life and happiness return, even if they also were wet with tears.

“He traveled along the Breach, my dad. He would preach for peace and understanding between elves and humans. He said that we could understand each other, and even love each other. We didn’t have to fight. It’s the same mission we are on right now Rayla.” His speech almost reminded her of when he forced forged - discovered - the sky arcanum. She didn’t really care how he came to the conclusions he did, she was just happy to see him start recovering.

“I didn’t even remember him or my sister. But I still ended up following in his footsteps.” He looked off into the night sky, smiling. He rubbed a tear off his cheek. Rayla pressed her body against his. She couldn’t stop looking at him, at that emotional dam crumbling.

“We’ll finish the job he started.” She rested her hand on his and relished in the allowed contact. “But let’s not die in the process.” She could feel a small laugh start in his chest but it turned into a breathy hum.

“Let’s,” was all he said before he turned and kissed her.

.

_  
A small boy hugged his father’s shoulders tightly. His father’s arms reached around holding the boy in a piggy back ride. He looked at the twisted, dark horns coming out of his father’s head. If he has them he could be a goat, the young child mused. The boy breathed into the cold night._

_“Look daddy, I can see my breath,” he cheered. The man smiled and exhaled deeply, producing a cloud of white. The boy giggled in delight._

_“Can you feel the wind too? It’s all a part of the air and sky. We breath in the air around us, and it fuels us. Keeps us alive and gives us power. And then…” He exhaled, producing another puff of white. “We return it to the world,” the man tried to explain the sky arcanum but knew it was useless. It wasn’t something that could be explained, certainly not to a five year old._

_“Bye bye breath,” the boy waved at the small puff of white in front of him. The man laughed and held his son closer._

_“You’ll understand someday Callum. Who knows, maybe you can see this war end,” he mused largely to himself. He looked up the sky and dreamed of the future.  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I'm just a bit drunk, but I liked this chapter better. Quater elf Callum is my new head cannon by the way. And he will also live twice as long as humans so Rayla won't be alone for half of her life. And his elfy grandfather is alive and will smother him with grandfatherly love. Anyway, tell me if you like the idea because I am scheming up a much longer story revolving around this idea.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is just not panning out how I envisioned it. I hate it but I don't know how to fix it, so I'm just going to post it. It's not long, just one other chapter after this. Then maybe I can move onto works that actually flow.


End file.
